Radioactive
by Missus Carlikins
Summary: Levy doesn't have time to think about romance, not when she's busy fighting zombies and hiding from bloodthirsty dragons. Yet when the mysterious Gajeel appears and saves her life she suddenly finds herself unable to think about anything else. [GaLe; Zombie AU]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **This chapter has been waiting to be posted for like a month, but I couldn't think up a title and then I was listening to Radioactive by Imagine Dragons (that band is too perfect, ugh) and I was just like... _yes_. And then I had to think up a summary and wow it's not that good. It might get changed a bit after I figure out a more concrete plot.

I don't have a second chapter written up yet and I should really do a bit more plotting before uploading this chapter, but I just really wanted to get it out there.

I'm not totally happy with this but I can't figure out how to improve. Sorry for any confusion or mistakes.

* * *

On July 7th of X777 the world ended.

The cause wasn't a nuclear war or an alien invasion or even a government experiment gone wrong. It was all because of one bad burger served to a man in a restaurant. Although there was speculation that the man was in fact an escaped government experiment and that was the reason he reacted the way he had to the spoiled meat, no one had any proof though. All anyone knew was that one moment everything was normal and the next it just... wasn't.

Within the week over half of the world's population had been wiped out. Humans became an endangered species and the world fell to chaos.

Amidst the destruction and decay of the world were groups of survivors with... special talents banding together. They called themselves guilds and they made it their duty to protect the humans of the world. They created safe houses and cities, refuges for the survivors. They were rays of hope in the bleak world, beacons of light.

One guild in particular shone brighter than the others.

That guild was known as Fairy Tail.

x

Levy pressed her fist to her mouth and swallowed the cough that was threatening to break free. She glanced out the window at the corpses milling about on the street below. They didn't know she was here and she wasn't about to alert them to her location.

Lucy tapped her hand twice and she nodded, shifting into a crouch. They had to get into the basement of the building across the street without attracting the attention of any of the zombies, which wasn't as hard as it sounded. Zombies relied heavily on sound and scent and if you were able to mask one of them then you were in the clear... most of the time.

Levy glanced at the body on the ground in front of her and winced. She always hated this part. She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, preparing herself.

_It's now or never_.

She let her breath out on a sigh and plunged her hand into the chest cavity, flinching away from the feeling. It wasn't something one could explain with words, wasn't something one would _want_ to explain.

They made short work of painting themselves with the blood and Levy tried not to gag at the smell of death that clung to them. She took shallow breaths and steeled her nerves. Now came the hard part.

"Ready?" Lucy mouthed, not daring to speak. Levy nodded in response and they stood together, walking down the stairs side by side. Levy found strength in her friend, she wasn't alone in this graveyard. Even without Lucy she wouldn't have been alone. Bisca was positioned in one of the buildings with her sniper rifle, and Natsu and Gray were waiting for their signal at the edge of the city.

The job was just a simple rescue mission. If all went well then they'd be in and out and heading back to Magnolia in under 10 minutes. Levy hoped everything would go well. She couldn't bear to lose another friend.

They paused at the door and Levy gave Lucy what she hoped was an encouraging smile. They'd been doing rescue missions together for half a year now and they'd yet to run into trouble, but that just made Levy think something major was on the horizon. She smiled for Lucy though, wanting to show strength and courage, even if inside she felt like jelly.

Lucy reached over and squeezed her hand once. _We'll be fine_. Levy nodded and took a deep breath before pushing open the door and stepping into the sunlight.

x

It was a short walk across the street, but Levy's heart was thudding with every step. She couldn't help but worry that maybe they didn't smell dead enough. Although that was what Bisca was for. If any zombie looked too long then she'd shoot them dead where they stood... well dead_er_.

She nearly sighed in relief when they made it to the opposite building, but they weren't in the clear yet. With a small wave towards Bisca she followed Lucy inside.

There were a few of the dead shuffling inside what must have once been a gym but they paid them no mind. It was odd to see one of them walking on the broken exercise machine. The action was almost... human.

A tug on her hand drew her attention back to the present, back to their job. She smiled at Lucy and they moved towards the door marked stairs. It was a short walk down and the stairs opened into a wide room with doors along all the walls. There were speakers along the ceiling, a few were barely hanging on by the wire and a couple more were scattered on the ground, smashed beyond repair. Levy wondered if this had been a dance hall. She could imagine the bodies spinning around the room. She could practically feel the energy, the _life_, that had once filled the room.

"Third door," Lucy said, nodding towards the door in question. It was odd to hear Lucy's voice after hours of silence. Thankfully down there they could talk without fear of alerting any of the dead above.

Levy knocked on the door; three taps, a pause, followed by two more taps. They stepped back when the door slowly creaked open and Levy kept her face carefully blank at what waited inside.

Three adults (two men and one woman) and two children (a boy and a girl) waited inside. They didn't look much better than the corpses above ground, the people they rescue never did.

"Sorry about the smell," Lucy said, ever the lady. "We had to do it to get in here."

"We're not going to have to..." the woman trailed off, her lip curling in obvious disgust.

"Of course not. We should be able to just walk out of here without a fuss. We just have to wait a few minutes." Lucy motioned to Levy and she nodded turning away from the group to contact Bisca. "How about some food while we wait?"

She took her lacrima out of her pocket but before she could contact Bisca it lit up with the girl's face.

"Levy, thank god it got through."

"Bisca, what's wrong?"

"We have a bit of a problem."

"Problem?" Her heart leapt up her throat and she swallowed down the panic that was bubbling up. "Are Gray and Natsu okay?"

"They're not the problem."

"Then what is?"

"We've got a visitor."

Levy shut her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "A dragon," she breathed, barely daring to speak it.

"Unfortunately. Natsu and Gray are hidden so you don't need to worry about them, but we won't be going anywhere any time soon. It seems like the nest is somewhere in the city. I'm watching it now and trying to figure out a pattern, I'll let you know when it's safe to go."

"Be careful, Bisca."

"You too."

Levy sighed and slipped the lacrima back in her pocket. Her heart was thudding too loud in her chest and she took a few deep breaths, willing it to quiet down.

Dragons had vanished from history suddenly one day. One minute they flew through the skies and the next they were just... gone. No one really knew what happened, but everyone just figured something had killed them. Then the virus started spreading and suddenly there were dragon sightings, only these weren't the same dragons that once shared the skies with humans. They were mindless beasts. They lived to kill and their favorite prey were humans.

There were theories that whatever was turning the humans into walking corpses was infecting the dragons as well, but due to the different DNA the dragons were affected differently. Unfortunately that meant they didn't have the diminished strength that the zombies did, in fact they seemed to be _stronger_ than before.

They were an unstoppable, killing force.

A hand fell on her shoulder and she jumped, whirling to face Lucy. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but the panic must've shown in her eyes because Lucy took her arm and led her further from the little group.

"What's going on?"

"We've got a problem." Levy swallowed and raised her gaze to Lucy's. "There's a dragon out there."

x

Levy let Lucy come up with the reason why they couldn't leave yet as she went to check the situation above ground. She didn't doubt what Bisca said, but she just had to see the truth with her own eyes.

She opened the door to the main lobby, peering into the room with caution. The ten zombies that had been milling about before had scattered. It was eerie how _silent_ it was.

She kept to the walls as she crept through the room. She knew from experience that even if a room seemed empty there was a chance it wouldn't be, and there was no way she was going to leave her back unprotected for any lingering dead.

She paused at the window and glanced outside, dread filling her entire body at what she saw.

The entire street that had been brimming with corpses just a few minutes earlier was completely empty.

Only one thing cleared out the dead so fast.

It really was a dragon.

Levy turned to head back downstairs when movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She only had a moment to brace herself before the body slammed into her and she was flying. Her body shook as she slammed into the glass and there was a second of silence before it shattered and she was thrown against the asphalt. She winced as the glass dug into her back and tore at her clothes.

She pushed herself up only to have the body slam her back into the ground, tearing a strangled moan from her mouth as a piece of glass dug deeper into her shoulder.

The zombie leaned over her and she felt a wet glob of drool hit her cheek. She cursed under her breath and swung her arm up, socking it in the jaw. Its head snapped to the side but it didn't get off of her and she struggled to free her other arm, which just caused her to bite back a scream as pain tore through her. As long as that glass was lodged in her shoulder the arm would be useless.

One of the zombie's hands pressed against her waist and she heard a crack. There was a moment of silence before pain laced through her side and her eyes welled with tears. This zombie wasn't just a normal zombie, it was one that had had been a mage when it lived based on its strength.

Levy wasn't a fighter, she wasn't strong, and with her arm useless she couldn't even use her magic. She just had to hope that Bisca noticed the situation before it was too late.

The zombie leaned down to take a chunk out of her arm when its head exploded all over her. Levy winced, but she wasn't about to complain. She raised her hand in a quick wave and pushed herself to her feet, wincing as her entire body erupted in pain. She didn't have time to worry about her wounds, she could do that once safe inside the building.

She never had the chance to move though. A shadow appeared above her, blotting out the sun, and her breath froze in her throat. The shadow slowly descended and there was an earthshaking thud as the dragon landed behind her. She could feel its hot breath puffing against her back but she didn't dare move. She stared at the building only a few feet away and Lucy appeared in the window, her eyes wide. She opened her mouth to shout but Levy shook her head, raising her finger to her lips. It would be pointless if Lucy died here too.

It was scary how calm Levy felt as she turned to face her death. She'd almost died hundreds of times since the end. She'd faced countless zombies and survived, survived when her friends didn't. She supposed it was finally her turn to let the others survive.

She huffed a laugh and slid her eyes up to meet the dragon's emotionless gaze.

She'd faced death countless time, but she'd never even dreamt of dying at the hands of a dragon.

The dragon stared back at her and for a moment she saw the intelligent being it used to be reflected in its eyes, but then it was gone, replaced by the killing machine. Levy didn't look away from the dragon as the clawed foot came at her.

"I'm sorry Lucy," she breathed.

"_Levy!_"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes:** Holy shit this is all kinds of awful. I tried to write it in the wee hours of the morning and I basically ended up rewriting the entire thing as I typed it up and it still _sucks_. I apologize. I'm going to try to focus on this fic for a bit so hopefully I'll have a third chapter out soon, but in case you can't tell… I suck at updating. This chapter also taught me that I can't write Juvia to save my life…

Please feel free to point out any mistakes you see because this has barely been edited.

* * *

Levy had always heard that before you died your entire life flashed before your eyes, but those stories were lies. She didn't see her past, only her present.

She saw Lucy throwing open the door and dashing outside, her mouth open in a scream that Levy couldn't hear over the sound of her heart pounding against her ribcage. She saw the talons glinting in the dying sun, headed right for all her vital parts and moving much slower than she would've thought, but she suspected that was just the adrenaline pulsing through her veins.

Then she blinked and suddenly there was a blur of black as something rammed into her and threw her out of the dragon's reach.

For a moment the world seemed to stop all together as she flew through the air and she was aware of _everything_. She could feel the warmth of her savior's hard chest pressed against hers, of his strong arms wrapped securely around her back holding her tight. She could smell him, like metal and dirt and blood and she found herself wondering what he tasted like. Then she felt the pain as the claws tore into her face, it was barely more than a glancing blow but it felt like her face was being ripped away, and all she saw was a beautiful deep crimson as the world sped up.

She didn't have a chance to scream before the air was being knocked out of her and her head cracked against the asphalt. She felt her brain rattle in her skull and she tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't seem to make them work. Then she froze as a big hand pressed against her shoulder and warm breath tickled her ear.

"Stay here," a voice growled, and then the warmth was gone and she was alone. _It's not like I could move if I wanted to._

Her head was throbbing and she was faintly aware of the glass lodged in her shoulder. She could feel the warm sticky blood dripping from the cuts on her forehead and cheek but for some reason she didn't feel any pain, it was like her mind had just shut down.

Since she couldn't move or see she tried to figure out what was going on by relying on her ears, but everything sounded muted and she couldn't focus enough to place anything. Then she heard the quick tap of feet approaching and suddenly there were hands on her body and face.

"You've been torn apart," Lucy said. Levy turned her head towards wear the sound came from and squinted her eyes as far as they would go. She could just barely make out Lucy's face and her tear filled eyes and she tried to smile, although she imagined it looked more like a grimace.

"I'm fine," she said, laying back and shutting her eyes. It was too bright and she was _tired_.

"Fine? Fine!" She winced when she felt a hand smack against her stomach. "I thought you were going to die!"

"If we don't stop the bleeding she will," a voice Levy didn't recognize said. She felt someone kneel next to her and she forced her eyes open again, but all she could make out was _blue_.

"And who are you?"

"Juvia Lockser."

There was an angry roar and Levy flinched, panic rising in her chest as her eyes flew open. She looked around wildly and tried to sit up. "The dragon! Where is the dragon?" A hand held her shoulder down and she got a good look at Juvia. Levy's first impression had been right, the woman was very blue, from her hair to her clothes and even her eyes. _Beautiful_, was the word that came to mind when Levy looked at her.

"Do not worry. Gajeel is leading it away. You are safe."

_Gajeel._ Calm washed over her and her eyes fluttered shut as her mind became fuzzy. "Thank you," she breathed. Juvia may have responded but by then Levy was already gone.

x

Lucy stared at Levy's still body and worry ate at her from the inside out. When Levy had gone upstairs she'd thought nothing of it, but then she'd heard the crash and the gunfire and she'd known something was very wrong. She had run upstairs as fast as she should, but it wasn't fast enough. She'd made it to the door just in time to see the dragon land.

It was big, larger than a school bus with glistening black scales and impossibly sharp fangs, and then it turned its eyes on Levy and Lucy couldn't stop her scream. She'd run towards her friend, knowing that she wouldn't make it, but she had to _try_.

Everything happened so fast then. Lucy stumbled to a halt and could only watch as Levy went flying and the dragon snarled in rage. She watched as the shadow that had pushed Levy out of the way rose from her body and _launched_ itself at the dragon. An arm became a sword that bit into the dragon's side and she almost screamed again, sure that this man was about to die, but he quickly retracted the sword and ran before the dragon could snap him in half with its jaws. Then the dragon roared and followed after the stranger and suddenly the street was empty.

That was when Lucy shook herself and hurried to Levy's side. The sight of her friend's bloody body had tears welling in her eyes, but she bit her lip to keep them from spilling out. She had to be strong.

Now the stranger who'd introduced herself as Juvia was pulling things out of her knapsack and Levy _wasn't moving_.

"Juvia isn't a doctor," the woman said. "But Juvia should be able to stop the bleeding until this girl can get proper care." She handed a towel and a bottle of water to Lucy and motioned to the cuts on Levy's face. "Clean them."

Lucy's body seemed to be moving on autopilot. She poured a bit of water on the towel and began dabbing at the cuts, her lip quivering. There was no doubt that they would scar. She glanced up when Juvia lifted Levy's shoulder and hissed, and panic rose in her chest.

"What?" Her voice cracked and she bit her lip to keep from babbling.

"She has glass embedded in her shoulder. Juvia does not think she is skilled enough to handle it."

"At Fairy Tail, there's a girl with a healing gift. She should be able to help," Lucy said.

"How far away is this Fairy Tail?"

"About half a day's walk."

She looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps and smiled at Bisca.

"Is she alright?" Then Bisca saw Juvia and her eyes widened. "Is this one of the survivors?"

Lucy shot to her feet, her hand going to her mouth. "The survivors! They're probably terrified."

"Survivors?" Juvia asked, tilting her head to the side.

"We were on a rescue mission," Lucy explained.

Bisca glanced at Levy before shouldering her rifle. "I'll go gather them. We should really get out of here before the dragon or the zombies return."

Lucy nodded and returned to Levy's side. Her hand fluttered over Levy's cheek and she sighed softly. _I'm sorry, Levy._

She glanced up when she felt eyes on her and stared at Juvia. "We've done all we can," Juvia said, packing her things back in her bag. "She should last until Fairy Tail if you leave now."

"What about you?"

Before Juvia could answer they were interrupted by the sound of pounding footsteps and Lucy looked up in surprise when the man known as Gajeel approached them.

"I managed to lose it, but we've got to go _now_," he growled and Juvia was on her feet in seconds. He glanced down at Levy on the ground before his eyes flicked to Lucy and she almost gasped. His eyes were red and the pupils were slits. "You coming?"

"I can't just leave Levy," she said and Gajeel huffed. Before she could even blink he swept her up into his arms, careful to not jostle her too much. Lucy was surprised by the gentleness in his movements, the man was all rough edges and metal, but he treated Levy like she was a fragile flower.

As she got to her feet Bisca joined them with the survivors. "I contacted Natsu and Gray and told them to wait out of sight at the edge of the city."

"Good." Lucy turned to look at the two strangers and nodded. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes:** You all are far too kind to me. You should know that your reviews leave me feeling all fuzzy inside. I've been having major insecurities about my writing and my characterization skills I ended up rewriting this chapter like twice so my progress is quite a bit slower than I'd like. I'm hoping to update every Sunday, but I've never been very good at scheduled update… so we shall see.

Hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Levy woke up screaming.

It was like everything that had happened just came rushing back at once – the zombie attacking her, her brush with death, the dragon, _her savior_ – and for a moment she was still in the city. The dragon was _right there_ and she screamed, except she didn't have time to scream. Her mouth snapped shut and her eyes shot open to see not a dragon staring down at her but a plain, white ceiling.

Hysteric giggles bubbled in her chest and she pressed her hand against her mouth in an attempt to keep them down. She wasn't dead.

_She wasn't dead!_

Relief washed over her and a breathless laugh slipped through her fingers. She'd survived a run in with a dragon. She sat up slowly and winced at the tugging in her shoulder. Her arm was in a sling and she could feel the bandages wound tight around her shoulder. _I hope the damage isn't irreparable_. If she lost use of her arm then she'd become virtually useless to Fairy Tail.

The door crashed open suddenly and she started, her thoughts scattering. Natsu ran into the room, his eyes blazing and his arms raised, ready to fight. Before she could ask him what he was doing he began tearing apart the room and she could only stare. Then Lucy was there, her lips pulled down in a concerned frown.

"What's wrong? We heard a scream."

"Oh!" Levy gasped, slapping a hand to her mouth as her cheeks flamed with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone. I think I must've had a nightmare."

The worry faded from Lucy's eyes and she lowered herself to the edge of the bed, a small smile playing at her mouth. "That's understandable. You've been through quite a bit in such a short amount of time."

"Aww man," Natsu whined, dropping into the chair next to the bed. "I was hopin' to fight something."

"Go find Gray if you want to fight," Lucy snapped, turning a glare on him. "Now that we know there's no danger there's no reason for you to hang around."

Natsu made a face and crossed his arms over his chest petulantly. "Levy's _my_ friend too. I gotta make sure she's okay."

Levy watched their exchange, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Seeing the two of them alive and well had eased a tightness in her chest that she hadn't even realize she had.

"Hello, Natsu," she greeted. "I'm glad to see you're fine."

"I'd be better if I coulda had a shot at the dragon," he said with a pout, but it quickly vanished behind his usual grin. "You're like a legend now! Everyone in Fairy Tail was struck speechless when they learned that you of all people had faced a dragon and lived."

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded and Levy chuckled. She knew he hadn't meant it as an insult and wasn't offended.

"What? She's _small_. The dragon could've probably swallowed her in one bite."

"You really don't think before you speak, do you?"

Their bickering faded into background noise and Levy felt a shiver race up her spine as she remembered the size of the dragon. Natsu was right; it _could've_ swallowed her in one bite if it had wanted to. She was lucky that the man had intervened when he had.

_Gajeel._

She didn't know why he'd been in the city or why he'd risked his life just to save hers. Unfortunately she didn't know if she'd ever see him again, but she wanted to. She wanted to thank him for his help, but there was another reason. One she didn't understand.

"Just go!" Lucy practically shouted, drawing Levy from her straying thoughts and she glanced at her friends. Lucy was seething with barely concealed rage and she wondered what Natsu had said to set her off, probably something stupid. She sighed and rolled her eyes, the two would never change.

"Natsu, why don't you go tell Master Makarov that I'm awake," Levy suggested, giving him a small smile. "I'm sure he'd like to know."

Natsu brightened and leapt to his feet. "We'll have a party!" he announced, running for the door only to pause and shoot her a grin over his shoulder. "I'm glad you're awake, Levy." Then he was gone and she relaxed against the bed, turning her attention back to Lucy.

"Sorry," Lucy said, rubbing her forehead. "He just gets under my skin sometimes."

"He's an idiot," Levy agreed. "But he means well."

Lucy made a sound but didn't argue and Levy smiled. "How is everyone?" she asked. She didn't know how long she'd been asleep, but she had a feeling it'd been too long.

"Worried," Lucy answered. "When we brought you back bleeding and unconscious people had thought the worst, and for awhile it was that bad. Wendy worked her magic but she could only do so much…"

She trailed off and Levy grimaced. "I'm sorry."

Lucy rolled her eyes and snorted. "It's not like you _chose_ to stay unconscious."

"Still…"

"Don't. You're awake now and that's all that matters."

Levy sighed but didn't push it. She knew she shouldn't, but she still felt bad. She didn't like making people worry about her.

"Although I have to say you have amazing timing."

"Why?"

"Jet and Droy had been sitting vigil until just this morning." She winced and dropped her gaze. Her heart squeezed and guilt crawled up her throat like bile. They were probably freaking out.

A hand covered hers and she glanced up. "They're fine. They'll be excited to hear you've woken up."

"Just how long was I out?"

"A couple of days."

Once again Gajeel came to mind and she had to bite back the question. He was a stranger, sure he'd saved her life but that didn't mean anything. She couldn't seem to forget the memory of the warmth of his hard body pressed against hers.

_Don't dwell on him._

"The damage?" she asked instead, ignoring the odd look Lucy was giving her.

"You're not supposed to use your right arm for at least a month, the glass was pretty far in there and Wendy's worried about it healing completely." Lucy fell quiet and raised one of her hands to brush her fingers against Levy's cheek. "The dragon managed to get your face before you got pulled out of the way. It's going to scar."

She looked so sad about it and Levy couldn't stop the laugh from bubbling over. "At least I still have a face _to_ scar."

Suddenly a weight pressed against her chest and she fell back to the pillow, exhaustion seeping into her body. "I thought for sure I was going to die."

"I did too," Lucy whispered and Levy turned her head to stare at her, smiling softly and patting Lucy's hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Just don't do it again." Lucy rose to her feet and leaned forward to brush a kiss over Levy's forehead. "Get some rest. You've got a big couple of days ahead of you. I'm sure they're already planning the party."

Levy smiled and opened her mouth to say something, but she was asleep before she could form the words.

x

Lucy stepped out of the room and closed the door silently, not at all surprised when she turned and saw Gajeel leaning against the wall. He'd been lurking around the clinic more than Jet and Droy these past couple of days. It was endearing… if not a bit creepy.

"She's asleep," she informed him as she walked past.

Gajeel just grunted in response and remained against the wall, making no move to go anywhere. She pressed her lips together to hide her smile as she followed the sound of ruckus to the main hall. Since the moment Gajeel had saved Levy's life he hadn't left her side for more than a few minutes.

She couldn't wait to tell Levy all about it.

x

Gajeel scowled at the closed door, a low growl escaping from his throat. For the past three days he'd been standing watch outside her door, careful to not be seen. He hadn't realized the shrimp was so popular, but she had many visitors a day, like those boyfriends of hers who rarely left her side.

They didn't like him one bit, which was why he was careful to not be seen. They'd finally been forced out of her room that very morning and he'd thought about going in to see her, but decided against it. He didn't want the first thing she saw if she woke up to be him.

Yet she still screamed when she woke up and it took all of his control to not dash into the room; he could hear the Dragneel boy racing down the hall and had known she would be fine. So he'd waited outside and listened to her voice through the door, listened to her _laugh_ about the scars on her face. Guilt twisted through him at the thought of those scars. They were his fault, he hadn't been fast enough.

_If you'd been any slower she'd be dead_.

The thought of that girl dead just didn't sit well with him. He didn't even know her, but he wanted to protect her.

He glared down at his hands, curling them into fists. He couldn't forget the feel of her small body pressed against his as he pushed her away from the dragon, the feel of her warmth seeping through his clothes and into his skin as he carried her body to this guild. The entire time he was holding her he'd been terrified that the warmth would vanish.

"You're not going to go in?" He jumped at the voice and glared down at Pantherlily. He hadn't even heard the cat approach.

"Why should I?"

Lily shrugged and took a sip of his kiwi juice, just staring up at Gajeel until he cracked.

"Shaddup," he growled, turning his glare back to the door. Why would he bother going in anyways? She was just sleeping and he wasn't one of those creeps that liked watching girls sleep.

"You going to talk to her?"

"She's sleeping," he grunted and Lily sipped thoughtfully.

"I hear she's nice. No one has a bad thing to say about her."

_All the more reason for me to stay away._

"She likes to read," Lily continued, glancing up at Gajeel. "Maybe you could bring her a book for when she wakes up…"

Gajeel snorted and pushed away from the wall, not bothering to respond. He could feel Lily watching him as he walked away and he raised his hand in a wave.

Then he turned the corner and set off to find a bookstore.

x

When Levy next woke up it was dark out and she wasn't alone. She could hear Jet and Droy's quiet snores and she sat up slowly. Jet was in the bed on her right, turned towards her with one arm thrown over the edge, like he was reaching for her, and Droy was mirroring his position to the left.

She smiled softly and slid her legs out of bed, shivering a bit when her feet hit the floor. It was chilly and all she had on was an oversized shirt and a pair of short shorts. It took her a few steps to remember how to walk and she almost fell once, barely managing to catch herself on the end of the bed.

For a moment she thought she'd woken up one of the boys, but Droy just snorted and rubbed his nose before rolling to his back. When his snores started up again she continued on her quest to find the bathroom.

She avoided looking in the mirror for as long as she could, preparing herself for what she would see, and when she finally faced her reflection she still wasn't sure she was ready, but she couldn't avoid the inevitable.

With a deep breath she peeled away the bandages, wincing a bit when it tugged at her skin. She brushed her finger over the scar on her cheek and felt the first of tears sting her eyes.

_I will not cry_.

She dashed the tears away before they could fall and forced a smile at her reflection. So what if she had a few scars, Natsu was scarred and so was Gray. In their world scars meant nothing, and so they would mean nothing to her as well.

With one last lingering look in the mirror she headed back towards the clinic. She had her hand on the doorknob when it twisted on its own and she stumbled back a step in surprise when it opened to a stranger.

He was clad head to toe in black and she almost didn't see him, but his eyes… A deep crimson that she'd seen before.

"Gajeel," she said the name without thinking and the shadow started, eyes widening. "You- you are Gajeel, correct?"

He continued to stare at her and she shifted nervously, suddenly aware of just how little she was wearing.

"Why are you up?" he growled stepping out of the room. Levy automatically stepped back when he stepped forward and she didn't miss the way he faltered for a moment.

"I had business," she said. There was no mistaking it; this was the same man who'd saved her. She twisted her hands together and licked her suddenly dry lips. She wasn't sure what it was about this man that made her so nervous, but there was just _something_. "I-I wanted to thank you. For saving my life."

He grunted and a smile flitted across her face. _A man of few words._

"I hope that you'll let me repay you-"

"Don't bother."

She snapped her mouth shut and watched as he ran a hand through his hair. _I wonder if it's as soft as it looks_.

"I didn't… I didn't save you to be a hero," he rumbled, his eyes flicking to her face and away seconds later.

She couldn't help but smile and step closer to him. She placed a hand on his arm and he glanced at her again, his eyes lingering. "I'd still like to thank you, somehow."

When he just stared she smiled and stepped away, turning towards the door. She paused, her hand on the knob and then in a moment of courage she turned and rose on her tiptoes, brushing a kiss over his cheek. "Thank you," she murmured, giving him one last smile. Before he could react she stepped into the room and let the door slide shut, pressing her back against it and her hand to her mouth.

Shaking her head she walked back to the bed and paused when her hand brushed something hard on the mattress. She lifted it carefully, running her fingers along it. It was a familiar weight, one that had her smiling widely. She pressed the book against her chest and glanced at the door.

There was something special about Gajeel, something that drew her to him.

Something that made her want to get to know him better.

As she curled up on the bed, her new book hugged close to her chest, she knew she'd be seeing a lot more of Gajeel. She'd make sure of it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes:** Juvia is a lot harder to write than I expected… Also since there's still magic I've decided there's still Exceed, mainly because I sort of… forgot about Lily in the first two chapters (I'm awful I know). Plus I prefer Exceed!Lily to human!Lily because he's such a cutie.

Another one, in which nothing happens… I have a plot I just need stuff to happen before the plotty stuff can happen. Unfortunately I haven't been very happy with any of these chapters yet so I've ended up rewriting them instead of working on new chapters. I almost didn't get this one finished in time, which is why it's all short and stuff. Sorry.

Next chapter there will be zombies! Because this is a zombie fic and there is a lack of zombies.

* * *

For two days Levy sat in the clinic bed and read. The book was her favorite genre – horror. She was surprised that it was one she hadn't read yet and she wondered how Gajeel had picked it out. Maybe he'd asked Mr. Simmons for help... She snorted and pressed her face into the book as giggles erupted from her mouth. She didn't know Gajeel very well, but she found it hard to imagine him asking anyone for help. He'd probably just grabbed a random book off the shelf and got lucky.

On the second night she finished the book and the following morning she was deemed well enough for a party. So Lucy shooed Jet and Droy from the room and got to work dolling her up.

The dress was far too elegant for something like a Fairy Tail. The fabric was midnight blue soft to touch, hugging what little figure she had before flaring out at the hips and falling loosely to just above her knees. It was strapless and she kept tugging it up, sure that her modest breasts weren't enough to keep it from slipping.

"Will you stop it," Lucy snapped, slapping at her hands before returning to her task of fixing Levy's hair.

"Where did you even find this?"

"_Your_ closet."

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at her reflection in the mirror. She had to admit it was gorgeous… and so was she. Lucy had pulled her hair back in a bun, but let a few of the curls frame her face as was her usual style, except instead of looking like she'd just rolled out of bed she now looked like she was going to a fancy dinner.

"You're the guest of honor; you might as well look nice."

"It's also a welcome party for the new members," Levy pointed out. She'd been excited to hear that Fairy Tail had new members, even more excited when she discovered those members were Juvia and Gajeel. She hadn't seen Juvia since the day of the incident and she wanted to thank the other woman for helping her.

Lucy snorted and stepped back. "It's been their welcome party for the past three days. Today is your day to shine."

Levy rolled her eyes and slipped on her sandals. "You just wanted an excuse to dress me up," she accused, making Lucy chuckle.

"Well you _are_ as cute as a doll."

Levy stuck her tongue out and rose to her feet, shooting one last glance at the mirror. She had to admit that she looked _good, _even with the bandage wrapped around her shoulder and the gauze pads taped to her face.

"Plus it wouldn't hurt to impress a certain someone."

Levy snorted and stepped towards the door. "You're impossible."

"It's like those fairy tales you always read. He's your prince!"

"He's a stranger."

"_Only_ because you haven't talked to him yet."

Levy rolled her eyes and kept walking. Lucy had told her about Gajeel's silent vigil outside the clinic and she'd ignored the fluttering it caused in her chest. It didn't mean anything.

She paused when she heard the ruckus in the main hall. Over the past two days most of the guild came and checked up on her, but she hadn't faced them all as a crowd yet and she suddenly felt nervous. A hand on her back gave her a small push and she glanced over her shoulder at Lucy who smiled in encouragement.

The minute she stepped into the room cheers erupted around her. Jet and Droy threw themselves at her and she laughed, patting their backs. Makarov patted her hand and smiled up at her, and Mirajane gave her a one armed squeeze. For the first couple of minutes she was passed from person to person as they all gave her hugs and told her they were glad she was finally back on her feet. She could only laugh when Natsu squeezed her tightly and swung her around in the air. By the time she made it to the bar she felt like she'd been touched by everyone.

"You look lovely today," Mira said, appearing with Levy's favorite drink.

"Thanks. Lu-chan decided to dress me up for the party."

"Only for the party?" The glint in Mira's eye had Levy groaning.

"Not you too."

Mira laughed and patted Levy's arm. "He's not too bad of a fellow," she said. "A bit rough around the edges, but he's got quite a heart in there. Although he seems to try hard to hide it."

Levy couldn't help herself. She found her eyes drifting over to the table next to the wall where the topic of their conversation was seated. He was scowling at the crowd, a dark shadow in an otherwise vibrant room, and she was surprised that he wasn't alone. Next to him was a black Exceed she'd never seen before.

"He doesn't seem like much of a party person."

"I'll say. He had been making himself scarce up until today…"

Levy grabbed her drink and rose to her feet. "I'm walking away now," she announced and did just that, ignoring Mira's chuckle.

Her eyes swept the room and she sipped her drink as she tried to decide where to go, it was the head of blue hair that decided it for her. She made her way through the crowd, smiling at the people who talked to her. Many asked questions about her encounter with the dragon and she promised to tell them later, and then she was finally at her destination.

She claimed the seat across from Juvia and smiled brightly. "Hi there, you're Juvia right. I'm Levy. You saved my life."

Juvia blushed and ducked her head a bit. "Juvia did nothing, it was all Gajeel."

Levy waved her hand dismissively. "I seem to remember you patching me up while Gajeel just played tag with a dragon."

Juvia laughed at that and Levy smiled. She really was a beautiful woman.

"So how has Fairy Tail been treating you?"

"Everyone has welcomed Juvia quite warmly," she said. Levy didn't miss the way her eyes drifted off and she glanced over her shoulder to see a shirtless Gray arm wrestling Elfman.

"Some more than others?"

Juvia flushed again and quickly tore her gaze away from Gray. "Gray-sama is most kind…"

Levy's lips turned up in a small smile and she took another sip of her drink. "I'm glad you're being treated well."

"Juvia is glad to see Levy-san on her feet. Gajeel was very worried."

At the mention of his name she glanced back at his table again, not all that surprised to see Natsu standing next to it. _Probably challenging him to a fight_.

"So I've been told."

"He is a good man," Juvia said.

Levy made a sound, her eyes still on Gajeel. He was snarling at something Natsu said and she could tell they were seconds from fighting. Her lips quirked in a smile, it seemed like he was fitting in well. Then she blinked and they were throwing punches at each other, destroying anything that got in their way.

She laughed softly and turned back to Juvia who was watching her with a curious expression.

"He seems to be fitting in."

Juvia smiled and opened her mouth to respond when something crashed into the table. They both started at the now pantsless Gray who was pushing himself to his feet.

"You're going down!" he shouted running towards the all out brawl that had started.

"Gray-sama! Your clothes!" Juvia shouted, covering her flaming face with her hands.

Levy laughed softly and took another drink from her glass. "This just isn't Fairy Tail if there isn't a fight."

x

Thirty minutes later Gajeel was nursing a bruised jaw and a broken hand, the Dragneel boy sure had a hard head. He rubbed his jaw with his good hand and snatched a spoon from a nearby table, munching on it as he headed back towards where he'd left Lily.

He was halfway there when he noticed the head of blue hair sitting across from the Exceed and he paused, half a spoon hanging from his mouth.

He could hear her laughter from where he was standing and her smile nearly blinded him. She wasn't beautiful like Juvia or that blonde girl she'd entered with. She didn't have the breathtaking figure or the _confidence_ they had. But she still made his heart race and his palms sweat like he was 13 again and flipping through a porno mag in the corner store.

"You're drooling, hun."

He whirled and glared down at the woman, Cana was her name. She flashed a smile up at him and took another swig from her glass.

"Mind yer own business."

Cana tsked and hooked her leg around Gajeel's and then he was knocked onto the bench next to her. He scowled and crunched the rest of the spoon.

"That little lady _is_ my business," Cana growled, her eyes sparking. She might smell like alcohol and act like a drunk, but there was no doubt in his mind that she was the farthest thing from intoxicated. "I see the way you look at her, I've had _many_ men look at me that way."

"Look, I ain't gonna do anything so save your threats"

Cana snorted and tapped his thigh with her foot. "Yeah right." His scowl darkened but she didn't seem to notice or care. "I'm not telling ya to treat her like a delicate princess, just… be careful. That girl has been through a lot."

Gajeel snorted and his eyes drifted back over to the head of blue hair.

"Just… don't hurt her."

"I won't," he promised as he rose to his feet and headed towards the table.

And that would be one promise he would be sure to keep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes:** Well I so didn't stick to a schedule. I'm sorry. Life and laziness got in the way, and now I have a job so I have less time for writing and I'm trying to focus on original writing (not that that's been going well…). I promise to finish this fic though, it might take longer than we'd all like, but it will happen. _I promise_. Even though when I look back I shudder because I rushed things so it's not great… and this chapter jumps around a lot because I wanted to give you guys a longer one and I'm not happy with it but I am so done.

Sorry, don't hate me.

* * *

Gajeel was sulking, not that you could tell by looking at him. His lips were twisted in the same scowl he always wore and he ground a spoon to dust with his teeth. Most of the guild gave him a wide berth, even though he'd been there for two months already they still hadn't quite warmed up to him. He didn't think they ever really would. He didn't mind though. He preferred being alone.

His ears twitched when he heard the quick tap of feet as someone ran into the room, he didn't bother turning to see who it was. The airy, herb scent gave her away, and even if it hadn't the small squeak from her fall would've. He did turn at that, the scowl lessening and his eyes softening just a smidgen. He watched as Wendy picked herself off the floor and brushed the dirt of her pale dress. She glanced around and flushed when her eyes landed on him, but it was paired with a happy smile.

"Hello, Gajeel." Out of everyone at the guild she had accepted him fastest. He didn't know why, normally children fled when they saw him, but she never even seemed a little afraid of him. She always greeted him with a smile and wasn't afraid to touch him, and for some reason… Gajeel didn't mind. "What are you doing here?"

He grunted. "Am I not allowed to visit the library?"

She arched an eyebrow and didn't even have to say anything.

"What do you want?" he finally growled.

"Porlyuscia sent me to get a few books so she could show Levy which herbs to look for and which ones to avoid."

At the mention of the shrimp his entire body sort of went tense. She was the reason he was in the library, even though she wasn't. She was currently getting ready for a mission. A mission she shouldn't be allowed to go on.

He clenched his jaw so tight the handle of the spoon snapped in half, but he barely even noticed. He knew he had no right to tell her what she could and couldn't do. They'd barely spoken in the last two months so it wasn't like they were friends, but still… The idea of her going off and getting hurt again filled him with unease. He wanted to protect her, and he couldn't do that if she left.

Wendy didn't say anything as she gathered the books, although she did shoot a few glances his way. By the time she was done she had a pretty hefty pile, one she couldn't even see over. He watched her walk a few steps, the books teetering, before he huffed and got to his feet, taking most of them for himself.

"Thank you," she said, beaming up at him. He just grunted and motioned for her to lead the way.

x

Levy sat in the clinic, her fingers tapping an erratic beat against her thigh. A week ago Porlyuscia had deemed her arm well enough to be used, although Levy would still have to go easy on it for a bit. The next day she was in Makarov's office, practically begging for a new job. Normally she didn't mind some downtime between jobs, but she'd started to go a bit stir-crazy during her recovery and she was ready to do _something_.

Makarov had been hesitant at first, but she'd been persistent and three days later she had a job. Of course she couldn't leave right away, even for a simple herb gathering mission you had to be well prepared and she spent the last three days strategizing with Jet and Droy. But now… now she was ready.

Porlyuscia glared at her, the woman was always glaring, but before she could say anything the door opened and there was Wendy with a small stack of books.

"I thought I told you to bring me more," Porlyuscia grumbled. Wendy didn't have to answer because five seconds later Gajeel was walking through the door with a stack of his own.

He set the books on the desk and turned to leave, not even looking at Levy, but she watched him. She always watched him. For a moment he paused at the door and her breath stilled in her chest, but he just shook his head and kept walking.

She let her breath out on a sigh and turned her attention back to Porlyuscia who was writing down a list of herbs.

"Here," Wendy said, holding out a book to Levy. It was a thick tome and she slid it onto her lap, flipping through the pages. It looked like it had every plant known to man. "In case you need it."

"Thank you," she murmured, her lips pulling up in a smile. Then Porlyuscia was there with the list.

"This is everything we need. It shouldn't take you more than a day to find it all," she said.

"Thank you," Levy repeated, sliding off the bed.

She was at the door when Porlyuscia muttered, "Be safe."

"I will be," she promised.

x

The next morning she gathered her things. She was leaving in the wee hours of the morning because she knew if she waited Lucy would try to talk her out of it. Lucy had been trying to talk her out of it for the past week and it hadn't worked. She felt guilty for worrying her friends, but she just couldn't stay cooped up any longer.

Levy kept her footsteps light as she crept down the hall, but with her attention focused on her feet she didn't notice the shadow until she turned the corner and ran right into it. She squealed and stumbled back, almost falling on her butt. Luckily the strong arm wrapped around her and caught her before she hit the ground.

She stared up into the shadowed face and smiled at the familiar red eyes.

"Hi Gajeel," she breathed, righting herself. Her hand lingered on his chest for just a moment before she stepped back. "I didn't think anyone would be awake."

He shrugged and she smiled. He still didn't talk much.

"I really wish I could stay and talk, but I've got a job to do."

His shoulders tensed and she cocked her head to the side, but didn't comment.

"It was nice seeing you."

She smiled and patted his arm when stepped around him, freezing when his big hand closed around hers. Her heart skidded to a halt before picking up twice as fast and she turned to face him. His crimson eyes were burning and she licked her suddenly dry lips. For a moment she thought he was going to tug her against him and kiss her, and she found herself leaning forward, but then he dropped her hand and stepped back. He lowered his head and his hair fell in front of his face, hiding his eyes from her sight.

"Be careful," he rumbled and then he turned and stalked down the hallway, disappearing into the shadows.

She watched him go, her hand tingling and her heart racing. Then she shook her head and kept walking.

_He's a strange one_.

x

Jet and Droy were more protective than usual. It was endearing and very, _very_ annoying. They went into attack mode at the slightest sound and she was worried that they would kill an innocent animal if they weren't careful.

Of course it meant that when a zombie did stumble into sight they were able to take it down in seconds. Jet would race ahead to keep it distracted and Droy would use his control of plants to capture it. They never killed if they could avoid it, it was one of the reasons Levy had teamed up with them. She'd never liked senseless violence, and she knew the zombies weren't human anymore, but they still had human faces…

She worried about them though, worried that they would hesitate to kill and it would cost them their lives. Compassion was a good quality, but too much was dangerous.

Levy shook her head and glanced at the plant at the base of the tree then back at the book. Then she plucked it out of the ground and put it in the little bag Porlyuscia had given her. She had a bag for each plant and they were almost all full. Only a few left and then they could head back.

She glanced up at the sky and the sun that was filtering through the leaves, casting a green light on everything it touched. They'd been out there for half a day already and although it wasn't exciting it had helped her relax. She hadn't realized how much she missed being outside. The camp was a great place, it practically a town again, but it was stifling. She knew the walls were for their protection, but sometimes she felt like she was being caged.

She sighed and pushed herself to her feet just as a shadow passed overhead. Her entire body froze as a cold fear wrapped around her and her heart began to race. Jet and Droy were at her side in seconds and Jet was tugging at her hand, but her feet were glued in place. She couldn't move, could barely breathe. All she could hear was the sound of Lucy screaming, all she could see were those deadly claws coming right for her.

Then the weight pressed against her and the warmth calmed her instantly, in her mind she saw the cold, crimson eyes before it all shifted and she was back in the woods. Jet's hand was tight around hers and Droy's hand was on her shoulder, their eyes were shining with concern and she forced herself to relax.

"Sorry," she murmured. "I guess I'm not as okay as I feel."

"Maybe we should go back now," Jet suggested. Levy was shaking her head before he even finished his sentence.

"We only have a few more plants to gather. It's fine. I just got startled is all."

They stared at her for a moment longer and she smiled. "I'm fine really. Besides there's no way for a dragon to get in here so it's okay."

After a little more instance they agreed to collect the rest of the plants before heading back, but they were even more alert than they had been before. So it was a surprise when the zombie managed to sneak up on them.

It took out Droy first, grunting and groaning as it rammed into him from the back. Droy went down with a shout and Levy winced when she heard the thunk of his head hitting a tree. He crumpled, unconscious, and Levy was moving. The zombie's mouth was inches away from Droy's shoulder when she barreled into it. They rolled a few feet and she hissed at the tugging in her shoulder. It had healed, but it was still sore.

The zombie grunted again and she punched and kicked, all the while keeping its snapping jaws away from her body. All it would take would be one bite and she'd be infected. She couldn't let that happen.

Then Jet was there and he yanked the zombie off of her by its shoulders, practically throwing it into a nearby tree. Of course that wasn't enough to kill it, just daze it for a moment and Levy took that second to write out fire and toss it at the zombie. It started screaming the minute the flames touched it and it ran as fast as it could away from them, blazing the entire way.

Once it was out of sight she rushed back to Droy's side, ignoring the shaking in her hands. She always hated using her powers to hurt, even if it was to hurt something that was trying to kill her.

"Sorry Droy," she murmured, and then she slapped him. He started awake, his eyes wide and his fists in the air, but when he realized they were alone he relaxed back.

They decided then that they had enough plants and headed back to Magnolia. It took longer than it should've because Levy wanted to make sure Droy didn't overexert himself, but they still managed to make it back just as the sun was setting.

Lucy met them at the door and wrapped her arms around Levy in a tight hug. They chatted a bit as Jet helped Droy to the clinic with their loot and then Levy escaped to her room. She was exhausted and all she wanted was the wash off the grit and sleep for a bit.

She paused at her door, glancing over her shoulder at the shadows. For just a moment she thought she saw a flash of red, but when she blinked it was gone.

Still she smiled as she opened her door and stepped inside.

"I'm back," she whispered, knowing he'd hear her. Then she curled up in bed, feeling safer than she ever had surrounded by shadows.


End file.
